Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, and what better way to say “I love you” than with a home-made, delicious, decadent and rich chocolate cake using my favourite local chocolate brand: PURE Chocolate.

Let’s make it even more special by adding a few gourmet elements to bring out your inner pastry chef. We’re soaking our cake layers with a sweet and delightfully complex liqueur called Drambuie. The liqueur has a superbly smooth taste, notably marked with spiced honey. You’ll find notes of anise, orange peel, and oak that go amazingly well with chocolate. Oooh, fancy!

It’s all about the layers in this cake; assembling a cake with incredible textures and flavours to create a dessert that even Cupid himself will fall in love with!

We’ve also paired this dessert with three amazing wine options to set the mood for PURE, delicious romance that has double the aphrodisiac with that chocolate and wine combination; after all, it is the weekend and we’re celebrating life and love.

Cockburn’s Port which is a fortified wine — Lusciously ripe, vibrant fruit of youth and lovely tannins which give it the slightly peppery spice on the tongue. But it also has the elegance of age: the softness and smoothness that can only be achieved by slow ageing in old oak barrels. That’s what puts the Special in Special Reserve.

Banrock Station Moscato — Muscat aromatics, with subtle hints of grapefruit and fresh lemons. On the palate, delicate passion fruit and fresh pineapple are present. The gentle spritz gives a refreshing finish.

Jam Shed Red Blend — Medium-bodied wine. Velvety with ripe blackcurrants and vanilla spices and smooth tannins. It is seriously delicious and jam-packed with flavours.

It’s Valentine’s Day weekend and we’re definitely making sweet memories!

If you’d much rather leave the baking to the trained professionals, Sear274 has you covered. We’ve got all the love to indulge in for Valentine’s Day with our exclusive, premium, assorted miniature cakes that are meticulously and artfully crafted with the finest ingredients. Beautifully packaged and each dessert flavour is perfectly paired with specific Select wines for the ultimate gift.

For more information on V-Day options. Contact Trevanne Donegal @ 876-570-2253 or by

Email: trevannedonegal@gmail.com

Instagram: @SEAR274

Website: www.sear274.com

The “PURE LOVE” Cake

Chocolate Orange Cake

Ingredients:

2/3 cup butter, softened

1-2/3 cups sugar

3 large eggs, room temperature

2 cups all-purpose flour

2/3 cup baking cocoa

1-1/4 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1-1/3 cups whole milk

1 teaspoon orange Zest

3 oz melted dark chocolate

Method:

In a bowl, cream butter, orange zest and sugar until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with milk, beating until smooth after each addition. Pour batter into a greased and floured 13×9-in. baking pan.

Bake at 350°F until a toothpick inserted in centre comes out clean, 35-40 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. When cake is cool, dust with confectioners’ sugar or top with your favourite frosting.

Chocolate Buttercream

Ingredients:

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

2 1/3 cups confectioners’ sugar

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/3 cup whole milk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 oz melted dark chocolate (PURE Chocolate brand)

Method:

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until it is smooth, about 1 minute.

Add the confectioners’ sugar and cocoa powder to the bowl and beat until combined. With the stand mixer running on low speed, slowly stream in the milk and vanilla extract then add the salt and continue beating until well combined, scraping down the sides as needed, about 2 minutes.

Increase the speed to high and beat the frosting for an additional 2 minutes. Use the frosting immediately or store in an airtight container in the fridge. (If you refrigerate the frosting, you may want to re-whip it for a few seconds in the stand mixer before using it.)

Chocolate Ganache

Ingredients:

1 cup quality semi-sweet chocolate bars (113g each), finely chopped (PURE Chocolate brand)

1 cup (8 oz; 240ml) heavy cream or heavy whipping cream

Method:

Place chopped chocolate in a medium heat-proof bowl. Heat the cream in a small saucepan over medium heat until it begins to gently simmer. (Do not let it come to a rapid boil – that’s too hot!) Pour over chocolate, then let it sit for 2-3 minutes to gently soften the chocolate.

With a metal spoon or small rubber spatula, very slowly stir until completely combined and chocolate has melted. The finer you chopped the chocolate, the quicker it will melt with the cream. If it’s not melting, do not microwave it.

Ganache can be ready to use as a drizzle or you can let it sit at room temperature to cool and thicken. It will fully cool within 2 hours. Refrigerating speeds this up, but the ganache will not cool evenly. Stir it a few times as it sets in the refrigerator so it remains even and smooth.

Once completely cool and thick, the ganache can be piped with a piping tip or scooped with a spoon. You can also beat the cooled thickened ganache with a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment until light in colour and texture, about 4 minutes on medium-high speed.

Cover tightly and store ganache in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Once ganache cools completely, you can cover it tightly and freeze it for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator. To rewarm or thin out again, stir constantly over low heat on the stove in either (1) a double boiler or (2) in a heatproof bowl placed over a pot of simmering water. Don’t let the bottom of the bowl touch the simmering water.

Cake Assembly

Cut cake horizontally into even layers.

Using a pastry brush or squeeze bottle, soak each cake layer with the Drambuie syrup.

Begin stacking the cake by placing one cake layer as the base and spreading liberally with chocolate buttercream and then chocolate ganache.

Repeat until all the cake layers are stacked.

Refrigerate to set until cake is firm and ready to be frosted.

Cover the outer sides of the cake with the buttercream and refrigerate again to set.

Top with your favourite chocolate and fruit.